Bits & Bytes (v21n15)

Executives tend to agree that technology has helped them strengthen relationships with customers, but more than half (55 percent) partially attribute shortfalls in CRM initiatives to inadequate support from top management, says survey data from Accenture.

CRM and the Corner Office

Executives tend to agree that technology has helped them strengthen relationships with customers, but more than half (55 percent) partially attribute shortfalls in CRM initiatives to inadequate support from top management, says survey data from Accenture. Executives say that many top managers don't understand the benefits of CRM software. Half of respondents say their businesses could immediately grow 1 to 20 percent if they could access comprehensive customer data.

Unbounded Broadband

Only a radical reform of telecom regulations can help broadband technologies flourish, according to a report from market research firm Gartner. "The insistence of some regulators, such as the FCC, to define every nuance of what an operator should do has been the bane of the telecom industry," says analyst Ron Cowles. The telecom industry has been in one of its longest and worst slumps in decades. The report argues that broadband providers should have more autonomy in deciding what services they can offer.

Last One to Leave...

The dot-com debacle is winding down, as the number of closures and bankruptcies at Internet companies in the first half of 2002 (93) has dropped over 70 percent from the same period last year (345), says research firm Webmergers.com.

In recent months, dial-up and broadband access firms, as well as Internet content, infrastructure, and service providers have accounted for most of the closures. Webmergers.com's research also shows that Internet mergers and acquisitions are at their highest levels in six months. Most of the recent mergers have been in the e-finance sector.

Cyberattacks on the Radar

In a June survey conducted by the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and Ipsos Public Affairs, nearly half of 395 information technology professionals said they foresee a major cyberattack on the U.S. government within the next year. More than half said the likelihood of such an attack has increased since September 11.

Percentage of IT professionals who:

Foresee a major cyberattack on the U.S. government in the
next 12 months

49%

Feel the risk of such an attack has increased since
September 11

55%

Feel there is a gap between the threat of a major
cyberattack and the government's preparedness